Many mental health problems begin when physical stress (such as an illness or injury) or emotional stress (such as the loss of a loved one) triggers chemical changes in your brain. The goal of treatment for mental health problems-including self-care and professional treatment-is to reduce stress and restore the normal chemical processes in your brain.

Seeking professional help

In general, it is a good idea to seek professional help for a mental health problem when:

• A symptom does not get better on its own.
• A symptom becomes severe or disruptive.
• A symptom becomes a continuous or permanent pattern of behavior and does not respond to self-care.
• Symptoms become numerous, affect all areas of your life, and do not respond to self-care or help from family or friends.
• You are thinking about hurting yourself or someone else. See the topics Suicidal Thoughts or Threats and Physical Abuse.

There is a wide range of professional and community resources to choose from for mental health problems.